It is a Christmas miracle! Finally, a cocktail that can go into the slow cooker and gets better the longer it sits there. Glühwein is the German mulled favorite, served hot at Christmas markets and holiday parties. It reminds me of a roasty toasty Sangria.

As usual, there is no exact science involved in its creation, just a list of suggested inclusions to be tweaked and adjusted to your fancy. Please do not pour your fanciest Bordeaux in the mix; a couple bottles of Two-Buck Chuck will do.

This recipe can be multiplied as needed.

Ingredients :

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

2 cinnamon stick

1 orange

10 whole cloves

2 (750 ml) bottle red winethe

sweeter and cheaper the better

2 star anise

Makes 6 large glasses

Directions :

1. Simmer water, sugar, star anise, and cinnamon stick (reduced heat)

2. Add juice of whole orange. Save the peel.

3. Continue to simmer till it becomes a syrup then remove from heat and strain.

4. Stud orange peel with cloves.

5. Pour syrup, wine and studded orange peel into a slow cooker and heat on low until hot then keep warm. It should not boil. Serve in a mug with a cinnamon stick.

This is one for all those leftover-lovers out there. The thought of cooking after you have gobbled up every Thanksgiving favorite you have been craving for a calendar year seems daunting.

Enter: the world’s easiest leftover turkey gumbo, where the effort required is minimal and the flavor is huge. It can be tweaked to your taste, and that leftover stuffing can even be thrown in. It also freezes well if you just can’t face another big meal for a week or two.